Multiple punch press



Aug. 4, 1942.

c. R. STEVENS MULTIPLE PUNCH PRESSv Original Filed Jan. 2'?, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 4%, 1942.

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Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE PUNCH PRESS Carlton R. Stevens, Waterbury, Conn.

Original application January 27, 1940, Serial No. 315,978, now Patent No. 2,279,417, dated April 14, 1942. Divided and this application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,701

3 Claims. l(Cl. 113-38) This invention relates to presses, and more particularly to a multiple punch press of the eyelet machine type which will be capable of extremely rapid operation.

The present application is a division of my previous application, Ser. No. 315,978, filed January 27, 1940, for Multiple punch presses, now Patent No. 2,279,417, granted April 14, 1942.

One object of this invention is to provide a multiple punch press of the above nature which will be compact in size, light in weight, and of the minimum number of operating parts.

A further object is to provide a machine of the above nature which may be operated with small power and yet which Will result in greater production and less wear on the moving parts than with eyelet machines previously used.

A further object is to provide a machine of the above nature having improved means to transfer the products from station to station.

A further object is to provide in a machine of this nature a unitary detachable block in which is mounted the common die holder and its adjusting means, the product transfer means, and the ejecting mechanism.

A still further object is to provide an improved multiple punch press or eyelet machine of the above nature which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, ornamental in appearance, and very eflicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, there has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front assembly view of the improved multiple plunger press.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a plan view on an enlarged scale and partly in section of the bed of the machine, taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal enlarged sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical enlarged sectional view taken through the die block assembly on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a vlongitudinal vertical enlarged sectional view taken on the line 'I 'I of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line Ill-I0 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of one of the punch-holding plungers taken on the line I I II of Fig. 5.

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on the line I2 I2 of Fig. 11 at rightangles to the view shown in said gure.

Fig. 13 is a sectional View of the same, taken on the line I3-I3 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 14 is a plan view on a greatly enlarged scale of a blank adapted to be stamped by the first punch of this machine, and from which an `eyelet or other article may be made.

Fig, 15 is a perspective view of an eyelet which may be formed from the blank shown in Fig. 14 by the operation of the succeeding punches of the machine.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral I0 denotes a base plate, to which is secured a one-piece machine frame having side uprights II and I2, between which extends a top horizontal frame member I3, a pair of vertically spaced-apart intermediate frame members I4 and I5, and a horizontal rear platform I6 located below said frame member I5. The side upright I2 has a pair of spaced-apart horizontal side arms I'I and I8 extending outwardly from its outer side .to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, and in which are located suitable bearings for a vertical transfer cam shaft 2l, said bearings being held in place by a pair of removable caps I9 and 2U.

The frame side uprights II and I2 are provided near their tops with recesses 22 and 23 in which removable bearing blocks .24 and 25, respectively, are secured, as by bolts 26, 26. A horizontal main cam drive shaft 2l is journaled within the bearing blocks 24 and 25, and extends beyond each of the side uprights II and I2. The shaft 27 carries a pair of tight and loose pulleys28 Aand 29, respectively, at the left of the upright II viewed in Fig. 1. Provision is made of a spur gear 30 and a bevel gear 3| mounted on the shaft 2l outside of the upright I2. A bevel gear 32 is mounted on and secured to the upperY end of the vertical shaft 2I and'is in mesh with the bevel gear 3|. Below the side arm I8 another bevelI gear 33 is secured to the lower end of the vertical shaft 2I and meshes with a bevel gear 34 secured to the right-hand end of a horizontal ejector cam shaft 35 (Fig. 1), which extends beyond the upright I2 below said arm I8. The shaft 35 is journaled in a pair of detachable bearing blocks 36 and 31 secured, as by bolts 38, in a pair of recesses 39 and 46, respectively, provided in the uprights II and I2 adjacent the base plate I6. By means of the above construction it will be seen that the vertical shaft 2|, the main drive shaft 21, and the ejector cam shaft 25, together with associated pulleys, gears, and other parts, may be readily removed as units from the machine frame for adjustment, repair, or replacement.

Strip feeding mechanism The eyelets (Fig. formed in this machine are adapted to be blanked out from a coil of strip metal 4I wound on a reel 42 supported on a bracket; 43 (Fig. 2), said strip being fed from the reel 42 at the front of the machine to a scrap take-up reel 44 supported on a bracket 45 at the rear of the machine. The take-up reel 44 is rotated from the ejector cam shaft 35 by means of a round belt 46 which runs over a small `pulley 41 secured on said shaft 35, and a large pulley 48 mounted on a short shaft 49 supported by the rear bracket 45, said belt being in friction-driving engagement with the take-up reel 44 in the usual manner.

The metal strip 4I is adapted to be advanced in timed relation with the machine operation by a p-air of cooperating vertically spaced rollers 56 and 5| (Fig. 2) suitably journaled in a bracket 52 mounted on the platform I6. Intermittent feed is given to the strip 4| by means of an elevated crank disc 53, a link 54, and a pawl 55, which is adapted to engage a ratchet Wheel 56 secured to the shaft 51 of the roller 5|, in the usual well-known manner. The crank disc 53 is secured to a spur gear 58 which is in mesh with the spur gear 36.

In order to maintain the gears 36 and 58 in proper mesh and take up backlash or looseness therebetween due to wear, the gear 58 is mounted on a shaft 59 (see Figs. 2 and 3) which is journaled in an eccentric bushing 66 rotatably mounted in an enlarged section of the frame side upright I2. The bushing 66 is fastened in any desired adjusted position by a set screw 6|, and is provided with an enlarged manipulating head 62 by which it may be rotated to shift the shaft 59 and with it the gear 58 toward and away from the gear 36 to adjust the mesh of their cooperating teeth.

Punch plungers A plurality of equally spaced-apart punchholding plungers 63 (in this instance six) are provided. rThe plungers 63 are circular in crosssection and are adapted to be vertically reciprocated in alined circular holes 64 and 65 formed in a pair of vertically spaced-apart detachable cross-bars 66 and 61. The cross-bars 66 and 61 are adapted to be removably secured to the intermediate cross-frame members I4 and I5, respectively, as by bolts 68 and 69, respectively, located at the ends of the bars 66 and 61. Provision is also made of two rows of intermediate bolts 16 and 1I which are disposed intermediate the adjacent plungers 63 (Fig. 1). It will be understood that since the plungers 63 and the holes 64 and 65 are circular in cross-section, the wear in their bearings will be reduced to the minimum but may be readily taken up by adjusting the bars 66 and 61 by means of the bolts 16 and 1I. This adjustment is made possible by providing narrow slots 13, 13 lengthwise of each of the bars 66 and 61 (see Fig. 5), respectively, the slots 13 extending vertically through the respective bars and opening into each of the plunger-bearing holes 64 and 65. Any wear experienced between any plunger 64 and its corresponding hole 64 or 65 may thus be compensated for by tightening the respective bolt 16 or 1I to force the adjacent portion of the bar 66 or 61 tightly against the respective plunger. Moreover, due to the removability of the crossframe members I4 and I5, by loosening the bolts 68 and 69, the cross-bars 66 and 61 will be easily accessible for repairs or replacement.

Punch Zifters As most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5, provision is made of a plurality of equally spacedapart punch-lifting plungers 14 (six on this instance) to correspond with the punch-carrying plungers 63 previously described. The plungers 14 are also circular in cross-section and are adapted to be vertically reciprocated in alined circular bearing holes 15, 16, and 11 formed in vertically spaced-apart cross-bars 18, 19 and 86. The cross-bars 18, 19 and 86 are bolted, respectively, to the top frame member I3, the intermediate frame member I4, and the intermediate frame member I5 by bolts 8|, 83, and 83 respectively (Figs. 3 and 5) at the ends of the bars 18, 19 and 86. Bolts 84 and 85, respectively, disposed intermediate adjacent plungers 14 in the bars 19 and 16 are also provided to secure said bars to the respective frame members I4 and I5. For the purpose of adjusting the bars 19 and 89, to take up any wear which may occur between the walls of the holes 16 and 11 and the plungers 14, the bars 19 and 86 may be provided with slots 12 (see Fig. 5), similar to the slots 13 in the bars 65 and 61, supra.

The corresponding pairs of punch-holding plungers 63 and lifting plungers 14 are secured together by six horizontal knee-pieces 81, respectively, each of which is adjustably clamped at its rear end about the plunger 14, by a bolt 82 and secured at the front end to the punchholding plunger 63 by a bolt 88, so that the corresponding plungers 63 and 14 will move in unison and may be adjusted lengthwise relatively to each other. The plungers 14 are each frictionally engaged by the inner end of a plug 89 slidable in the top cross-bar 18, said plugs 89 being arranged in pairs, each pair being engaged at their outer ends by the opposite ends of a strap 96 (Figs. 1 and 3) which is pressed forwardly to force the plugs 89 inwardly against the respective pair of plungers 14 by an adjustable coil spring 9| reacting between the head of the bolt 92 screw-threaded into the cross-bar 18, and passing through the strap 96. Manual rotation of the bolt 92 will adjust the tension of the spring 9| and thus control the friction on the adjacent plungers.

Each of the punch lifting plungers 14 is provided with a horizontal cam-engaging lifter nger 93 clamped, as by a bolt 94, about one of the plungers 14 and extending therefrom forwardly to a point above the main drive shaft 21 in position to be engaged by one of ve upstroke cams 95 on said shaft 21.

Each of the punch-holding plungers 63 has a plug 96 provided with a hardened end 91 seated in a hole 98 in the upper end of said plungers 63 in position to have its hardened end 91 en- .elongated key |02.

gaged by one of ve downstroke cams 99 on the shaft 21. The remaining right-hand nger 93 (Fig. 1) and plunger bumper head 91 at the blanking station are adapted to be similarly engaged by cams and I0| respectively. The cams 95, 99, |00, and IOI are all mounted on the shaft 21 and are keyed thereto by a common The cams are adapted to be h eld in proper position lengthwise on the shaft 21 by means of a tapped spacing collar |03 which is adapted to force said cams to the right against an enlarged section |04 on said shaft 21.

Each plunger head 96 is arranged to be moved lengthwise in the plunger 63 by means of a wedge member |05, to adjust the downward throw of said plunger (see Figs. 11, 12, and 13). Each wedge member passes through a slot |06 formed in its plunger 63, and in so doing passes by a tongue |01 extending downwardly from the lower end of the plug 96. A set screw |08 screw-threaded through one side of each plunger 63 engages the wedge member |05 and clamps its against the tongue |01 and forces the latter against the portion of the plunger opposite the screw.

Punches At the first operating station of the press, a blanking punch |09 is secured in the usual manner in the lower end of the first plunger 54 which is actuated by the cams |00 and 0| (at the right-Fig. 1). The second punch ||0 forms a cup, the next two punches |I| and ||2 elongate the shank ||3 and partly form the head ||4 of the eyelet (see Fig. l5) the fifth punch |I5 completes the head ||4, and the last or sixth punch I I6 pierces the closed end I la of the eyelet shank ||3.

The last live punches IIO, III, |I2, II5, a d1 ||6 are actuated by the five pairs of cams 95 and 99, described above.

Dies

The blanking punch |09 cooperates with a blanking die (Figs. 7 and 9) which comprises a at plate over which the strip 4| is fed by the feed rollers 50 and'5I. The strip 4I in passing over the die I I1 is guided by a slidable guide plate II8 which is held in place by a one-piece metal stripper plate ||9. A blank |20 (Fig. 14) is formed by the cooperation of the blanking punch |09 and die II1, and is adapted to be carried down through said die II1 into a carrier disc or transfer block I2| which is seated in a transfer slide |22 and is positioned therein by a Vertical pin |23 and a pair of horizontal threaded studs |24 and |25 (see Fig. 9).

Removable die plate holding b'loclc The ve succeeding dies |25, |21, |28, |29, and |30 cooperate respectively with the punches H0, I, I I 2, I5, and I I6, and are all made cylindrical and mounted in a one-piece common die plate |3| (see Fig. 7), each of said dies being retained therein by a horizontal friction plug |32 (see Figs. 8 and 19). Each friction plug |32 is springpressed against its respective die by a coiled spring |33 which reacts between the plug |32 and a short set screw |34 screw threaded through one side edge of the common die plate |3|. The die plate |3| is removably mounted in a die block |35 and is adapted to be slid transversely thereof in a dovetail recess |35. The die block |35 seats at its ends upon a pair of upwardly facing shoulders |31 and |38 respectively, which are provided at the front of the side uprights and |2. The

die block |35 which extends from the upright I| to the upright I2 is detachably secured to the machine frame by a pair of threaded bolts I 39 which pass transversely through the die block 35 and are screw-threaded into the horizontal platform I5. Moreover, it will be noted that the die block |35 (Figs. 3, 6 and 10) has a pair of strips |35a set into its upper surface at each side of a longitudinal groove |51 formed therebetween above the dovetail recess |36 therein. This construction is for the purpose of facilitating the manufacture and assembly of the machine, and it will be understood that when once in place the strips |3511 will remain permanently in the die block |35.

The die holding plate |3| is normally adapted to be disposed in the dovetail recess |3|` substantially intermediate the front and rear of the die block |35, and is held in operating position by a pair of spacing bars |40 and |4I (Figs. 3, 6, and 10) provided at the front and rear of said plate |3|, said bars also being transversely removable from the die block |35.

In order to transversely adjust the die plate |3| along with the dies I26|30 inclusive carried thereby in the die block |35 to bring said dies into accurate alinement with their corresponding punches, provision is made of a pair of spacedapart horizontal screws |42 and |43 located on the front of the die block |35, said screws being threaded through a pair of vertical depending lugs |44 and |45 respectively (Figs. 1, 4, and 10). The lugs |44 and |45 are secured to the die block |35 by screws |45, |45, respectively, upon which they may swing downwardly to the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to permit the forward removal of the common die plate |3| and the spacing bars |49 and |4I from the die plate holding block 35. The screws |42 and |43 pass through tapped holes in the ends of the lugs |44 and I 45 into engagement with the spacing bar |40, and said screws are adapted to be held securely in place by lock nuts |41.

Mechanism for adjusting common die plate As clearly shown in Fig. 6, the die plate |3| is adapted to be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly to aline the dies |26|3|fwith the corresponding punches by means of a pair of long horizontal screws |43 and |49, which pass through the die block |35 from the front to the rear and screw-threaded into a pair of vertically disposed rear fingers |50. The fingers |50 are secured at their lower ends to the die block |35 by horizontal screws 5|, and have screws |52 screw-threaded through their upper ends to engage the rear surface of the rear spacing bar |4I. Lock nuts |53 are provided on the respective screws |52 to hold them permanently in operating position. By means of this construction, it will be seen that adjustment of the die plate |3| may readily be made from the front of the machine by turning the screws |48 and |49. A coiled spring |54) seated in a recess |55 formed in the rear of the die block |35 surrounds each of the screws |48 and |49 and reacts between the end |56 `of the recess |55 and the respective vertical finger |50 to urge the latter rearwardly.

Transfer mechanism The die plate holding block |35 is provided with a longitudinal groove |51 upon its upper surface in which the transfer slide |22 is adapted to be reciprocated in timed relation with the inachine operation to transfer the products from one cooperating set of punches and dies to the next succeeding set. On the rst stroke of the slide the blank |20 will be carried by the disc |2| from its punched-out position under the blanking die plate I l1 to a position under the second punch |I9 to be acted upon thereby. The product formed at this second station in cooperation with the die |29 will be engaged by the free ends of a pair of elongated resilient product transier ngers |59 and |59 which are secured at their other ends to the reciprocating transfer slide |22, and during each reciprocation of said slide, the product will be advanced along the die plate |3| to a position below the next succeeding or third punch I I I.

Similar cooperating pairs of lingers |69 and I9I, |52 and |93, |99 and |55 will grip and transfer the products at the succeeding punches and dies II2, H9, H9, and |21, |28, |29 respectively (3rd, 4th, and 5th stations). rIhe front fingers |59, 199, I9?I and |99 are inclined rearwardly from the front side wall 55 of a longitudinal extending slot |91 formed in the top of the transfer slide 22, and the rear opposing ngers |59, |6I, |93, and |95 are inclined forwardly from the rear side wall |58 of the slot |51.

The products formed by the punch and die H9 and |30 at the last or sixth station are adapted to be blown along the longitudinal slot |61 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 4, and allowed to fall through an oval-shaped hole |69 formed in the die block |35 and from which extends a downwardly inclined conveyer tube |10 to guide said products into a suitable container (not shown) The scrap piercings resulting from the last station are adapted to fall through the last die |30 into an opening I1I (Fig. 19) provided in the die block |35, and are guided by a downwardly inclined tube |12 into another suitable container (not shown) An opening |13 is formed in the die block |35 beneath the blanking punch |99 to receive a cylindrical die if the same is desired, but in the present instance, sai-d opening is lled by a plug |14.

Eject/'ing mechanism Beneath the dies |26-I30 inclusive (at the second to the sixth stations), the die block |35 is provided with holes |15, |16, |11, |18, and |1| (see Fig. '1) which are adapted (as in also the hole |13 beneath the blanking punch |99, in case a die is located at this station), to slidingly receive a like number of product ejecting plungers, In this instance, only four product ejecting plungers |19, |99, 18|, and |82 are require-d to produce the eyelet l E9 (shown in Fig. 15), and said plungers are provided with suitable ejecting rods |83, |84, |95, E89, respectively, which are adapted to extend upwardly and through the respective dies |29, |21, |28, and 129 to eject products therefrom and raise them into the path of the respective transfer ngers described above. Hardened metallic bumper plugs |81 are located in the enlarged upper ends of each of the holes |15, |16, |11 and |18 to form seats for the respective dies I29--I30 inclusive.

The ejecting plungers ITS-|82 inclusive, and with them the ejecting rods ISS-|86 inclusive, are adapted to be raised into product-ejecting positions in timed relation with the machine operation by means of four elongated cams |88, |89, |99, and |9| respectively. Each of said cams |88-|9| inclusive is split as at |92 (see Fig. 3) and is clamped upon the ejector cam shaft 35 by means of a screw |93. The ejecting plungers |19|82 inclusive are frictionally engaged by the inner ends of four horizontal rods |94 and |95 (see Fig. 6) arranged in two pairs, and having their front outer ends engaged by horizontal plates |96 (one for each pair). Each plate |96 is adapted to be forced inwardly to press the pair of rods |94 and |95 rearwardly against the respective plungers |19-I82 inclusive by a screw |91, which passes through the plate |96 and screw threads into the die block |35. A spring |98 (see Fig. 6) may be provided to react between the head of the screwV |91 and the plate |96 if desired to increase the friction of the ejector plunger.

The transfer slide |22 is arranged (Figs. 1 and 4) to be reciprocated in timed relation with the machine operation by means of a horizontal plate cam |99 secured on the vertical shaft 2|. The cam |99 is adapted to alternately engage a pair of vertical eccentric rollers 209 and 29| secured to an auxiliary slide bar 292 slidable 0n a supporting member 293 mounted on and fastened to the side arm I8 of the upright frame I2 and the bearing cap 29 thereof by depending bolts 294 and 295 respectively. The roller 209 (see Fig. 1) is rotatably mounted on an eccentric bushing 296 through which extends a vertical bolt 296e, which serves to fasten the bushing 299 to the bar 202. A handle arm 291 extends laterally from the bushing 296 so that the latter may be manually rotated after the bolt 295a is rst loosened to effect an adjustment in the position of the center of the roller 299, and thus control the reciprocating stroke of the auxiliary slide bar 292, and through it the stroke of the transfer slide |22 to which it is detachably connected.

In order to provide a readily detachable connection between the auxiliary slide bar 292 and the transfer slide |22, provision is made of a link 298 which is secured, as by a pin 299 and screw 2|9, to the slide bar 292, and by a pin 2I| to the slide |22. respectively. By means of this construction it will be seen that the loosening of the screws 2|0 permits the removal of the pin 2I| from the slide |22 t0 readily disconnect the latter from the slide bar 202.

In order to permit longitudinal adjustment of the auxiliary slide bar 292, it has dovetail edges (Fig. 2) which t into a dovetail slot 2 I2 formed in the supporting member 293, and a gib 2|3 is provi-ded along the iront edge of said slide bar 292 for use in taking up wear-said gib 2|3 being adapted to be pressed transversely against said sli-de bar 292 by means of three screws 2 I4. Provision is also made of a stop screw 2I5 at the right-hand end 0f the supporting member 203 to limit the movement of the slide bar 202, said screw 2|5 being threaded through an end plate 2|6 secured to the end of the bearing cap 20 by screws 2 I1.

Stripping mechanism Product stripping means now to be described are provided at each of the punches I0, I I I, II2, I5, and I I6, inclusive (see Fig. '1). At the punch ||0 the stripping means comprises a springpressed pin 2|8, which is located within and extends downwardly from the punch I I9 to release the product therefrom in a well-known manner; At the last or piercing station, the product is stripped from the punch I6 by a plate 2|9 (Figs. 1, 4 and '1) which is secured to the die block |35 by screws 229 and overlies the transfer slide |22 to close the top of the slot |61 therein at this point. The plate 2|9 insures the passage of the product toward the oval-shaped hole |69 by a blast of compressed air which is forced through holes 22| provided in a tube 222 extending transversely over the slide |22 at this point (see Figs. 1, 4, 6, and The tube 222 may be connected 'to a source of compressed air (not shown) by a by a flat spring strap or stripper fork 229 (Figs.

3 and 7) which extends rearwardly to a vertical bracket 23D (Fig. 3), which is secured by screws 23| to the rear surface of the platform I 6. The straps 229, as they extend forwardly, pass under a horizontal bar 232 secured to the underside of the intermediate frame member 5, which bar carries a. plurality of adjusting screws 233 (one for each strap 229) extending downwardly therefrom for engaging said strap 229 to adjustably limit the upward movement thereof. The straps 229 are bifurcated at their forward ends 234- to straddle annular grooves 235 formed on the thimbles 226, 221 and 228. At the extreme forward ends of the straps 229, provision is made of inclined arms 236 (Figs. 1 and 3) secured to the cross-bar 61 by the bolts 1|, and extending downwardly from the bar 61 to engage the bifurcated ends 234 of the straps 229 and act as stops while the work is being released from the punches III, ||2 and II5.

Friction brake for transfer slide At the left-hand end of the machine (Figs. 1, 4, and 6) a horizontal bracket 231 (Figs. 1, 4, and '7) extends across the die block |35 above the transfer slide |22, and is secured to the die block |35 by bolts 238. A friction pad 239 (Fig. 7) engaged by a pair of rods 249 connected together by a strap 24| is pressed downwardly by a screw 242, screw-threaded into the bracket 231, and said pad 239 is adapted to engage the slide |22 to form a drag and prevent sudden movement thereof. An intermediate bracket 243 (Figs. 1, 4, 8, and 9) formed integral with the blanking punch stripper plate H9, is secured to the die block I 35 by bolts 244. A friction pad 245, similar to the pad 239, is provided under the bracket 243 and is adapted to be pressed down against the transfer slide I 22 by a pair of rods 246 (Fig. 9) connected together by a strap 241, and which is engaged by a screw 249 screw-threaded into the bracket 243.

Operation 'Ihe operation of the present invention is in most respects similar to that of the standard eyelet or multiple plunger presses now on the market. The drive shaft 21 is rotated continuously through a belt, not shown, from any suitable source of power by means of the tight pulley 28. The drive shaft 21 rotates a punch and lifter cams secured thereto to reciprocate the punches toward and away from the dies. Through the spur gears 39 and 59 the crank disc 53 is rotated to actuate the strip feeding rollers 50 and 5|, and cause the strip 4| to be fed under the blanking punch |53 at the rst station. Through the bevel gears 3| and 32, the vertical shaft 2| is rotated to actuate the transfer slide-reciprocating cam |99 for transferring the products from station to station.

' the die block Through the bevel gears 33 and 34 the lower shaft 35 is driven to rotate the ejector cams |88, |39, and |9I, and thereby actuate the ejecting plungers |19|82 and rods |33-I86. A continual flow of completed products (in this instance eyelets) are thus caused to drop out of the tube |19, and surplus scrap from the strip 4| is removed from the machine by the rtube |12 and coiled up on the take-up roll 44.

Among the advantages of the present invention may be mentioned the detachable bearing blocks 24 and 25 which permit the removal as a unit of the shaft 21, spur gear 39, bevel gear 3|, and the punch-actuating cams .on the shaft 21. Moreover, the auxiliary slide bar 292, the vertical shaft 2|, the cam |99, the bevel gears 32 and 33, and the rollers 239 and 25| may also be removed, as a unit, by first detaching the bolts 284 and 285, the bearing caps I9 and 26, the screw 2|9, and the connecting link 208.

A further advantage is that the die block |35 and all of its associated partsI may be readily removed, as a unit, by the simple operation of first loosening the bolts |39 and disconnecting the screw 2|9. The unit so removed comprises |35, the die lOlate |3I, the slide I 22, the stripper plate I I 9, the carrier disc |2| and transfer fingers on the slide |22, and the ejector plungers and rods and associated parts mounted on the die block I 35. This construction greatly facilitates the making of changeovers, repairs, adjustments and replacements. Moreover, should it be desired to merely remove the common die plate |3| and the dies held therein as a unit, the screws |46 only will be loosened and the lugs |44 and |45 may be swung downwardly out of the way.

Another important advantage of the present invention is that all moving parts are arranged for ready removal for replacement, repair, or adjustment. Moreover, being light in weight, though sturdy in construction, the improved machine may be operated at a relatively high speed Without excessive wear upon its moving parts or the bearings therefor. Being relatively simple in construction, a machine of the above nature will be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

While there has been disclosed in this speciiication one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specic disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

1. In a multiple punch press, a plurality of reciprocable punches providing a series of operative stations, a reciprocable transfer slide to transfer work articles from station to station, a plurality of elongated spring fingers mounted on the slide including means to grip the articles during transfer movement of the slide, a cam for reciprocating said slide, a pair of rollers on said slide arranged to engage the cam on opposite sides thereof to shift the slide in opposite directions, an eccentric mounting for one of said rollers, means mounting said eccentric for turning movements to vary the position of the slide, means for turning the eccentric, and means for clamping the eccentric in adjusted positions.

2. In a multiple punch press, a plurality of reciprocable punches providing a series of operative stations, a reciprocable transfer slide to transfer work articles from station to station, a plurality of elongated spring ngers mounted on the slide including means to grip the articles during transfer movement of the slide, a cam for reciprocating said slide, a pair of rollers on said slide arranged to engage the cam on opposite sides thereof to shift the slide in opposite directions, a bolt mounted on the slide, an eccentric bushing mounted to turn on the bolt and forming a, bearing for one of the rollers, means on the bushing for turning it to adjust the position of the roller and vary the position of the slide, and means for clamping the bushing in adjusted positions.

3. In a multiple punch press, a plurality of reciprocable punches providing a series Iof operative stations, a reciprocable transfer slide to transfer Work articles from station to station and comprising a slide and an auxiliary slide bar, a plurality of elongated spring fingers mounted on the slide including means to grip the articles during transfer movement of the slide, a detachable link connecting the bar With the slide and forming the sole connection between them, a cam for reciprocating said transfer slide, a pair of rollers on the bar arranged to engage the cam on opposite sides thereof to shift the slide in opposite directions, an eccentric mounting for one of the rollers, means mounting said eccentric for turning movements to vary the position of the slide, means for turning the eccentric, and means for clamping the eccentric in adjusted positions.

CARLTON R. STEVENS. 

